Thoma Bravo Completes Acquisition of Proofpoint

Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm, and Proofpoint, Inc. (“Proofpoint), a leading cybersecurity and compliance company, today announced the completion of Thoma Bravo’s acquisition of Proofpoint for approximately $12.3 billion in cash. The acquisition was previously announced on April 26, 2021, and Proofpoint’s stockholders approved the transaction at the Special Meeting of Shareholders held […]

KBC Bank Ireland sells €1.1bn loans portfolio to private equity giant CarVal

  KBC Bank Ireland has sold a €1.1 billion portfolio of non-performing mortgage loans to funds managed by US private equity giant CarVal. Upon completion of the transaction, the loans will be managed by Pepper Finance Corporation. KBC said consumers will continue to have the same legal and regulatory protections as they currently do following […]

EQT Private Equity to sell Zemax

EQT is pleased to announce that EQT Private Equity, through the EQT Mid Market US fund, has agreed to sell Zemax (“the Company”) to Ansys (NASDAQ: ANSS). With the support of EQT, Zemax expanded its management team and focused on broadening the Company’s product portfolio through substantial R&D investment focused on the fastest-growing segments in […]

Carlyle preferred bidder for Baring PE’s Hexaware in $3 bln deal, sources say

Global private equity firm Carlyle Group has emerged as the preferred bidder for Baring Private Equity Asia’s (BPEA) Indian portfolio Hexaware Technologies in a $3 billion deal, two people with knowledge of the situation said. If successful, Carlyle would be winning a competitive bidding process against peer firms including KKR & Co and Bain Capital, […]

Billionaire brothers who own Asda ‘plan to open 300 new convenience stores’

The billionaire brothers behind Asda’s £6.8billion takeover are reportedly planning to open more than 300 convenience stores across their petrol station estate. Mohsin and Zuber Issa want to roll out “Asda on the Move” stores in their EG Group forecourts following a successful trial, according to The Sunday Times. The siblings, who own around 400 petrol […]

IRISH TECH COMPANIES RAISE RECORD VENTURE CAPITAL FUNDING OF €392M IN SECOND QUARTER

Venture capital investment into Irish tech firms in the second quarter this year hit a record €392m, up 7.6% on the same period in 2020 which was itself unprecedented, according to the Irish Venture Capital Association VenturePulse survey published today in association with William Fry. The survey also reports a record half-year to €641m, up 8% […]

Sainsbury’s in talks to sell bank arm to Centerbridge

Sainsbury’s in talks to offload its Edinburgh-based banking arm to US private equity group Centerbridge Partners, it has been reported. A deal could be worth about £200 million and would end months of speculation that has linked the business with a number of potential suitors including NatWest (RBS) Group. The supermarket chain kicked off an […]

Geely’s EV brand Zeekr raises $500 million in first external funding

Zeekr, the electric vehicle brand by Geely, said on Friday it raised $500 million in its first external funding from investors including Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Capital, battery maker CATL, and online entertainment firm Bilibili (NASDAQ:BILI). Led by Chief Executive Andy An, who is also Geely’s president, Zeekr said investors would jointly hold a 5.6% stake in […]

Picsart raises $130m in funding round valuing the company at over $1bn

Picsart has raised $130 million in a Series C funding round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 with participation from new investors G Squared and Tribe Capital, as well as existing investors Sequoia, DCM, Graph Ventures, and Siguler Guf & Company.  With over $100 million in annual revenue run rate, Picsart is now valued at […]

KKR and Salesforce Ventures back Leapwork in record series-B round

KKR and Salesforce Ventures have invested $62 million in a Series B round for Copenhagen-based, no-code software test automation platform Leapwork, to accelerate its global expansion. The company’s existing investors DN Capital and Headline continue to support the business and made an undisclosed, but ‘significant contribution’, to this Series B funding round as well. Leapwork […]